Rail clamp for planers and the like



Dec. 8, 1925.

F. E. CARDULLO ET AL RAIL CLAMP FOR PLANERS AND THE LIKE 21 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 24, 19

my Q Dec. 8, 1925. 1.565.140

F. E. CARDULLO ET AL RAIL CLAMP FOR PLANERS AND THE LIKE .Filed June -24, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WH 7 a f7 16 f j l d". ,7? 5 :sf-t .1: m

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Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FORREST E. CARDULLO AND HOYVARD W. HUNT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE G. A. GRAY COMPANY, OF GINCINNA'ILOHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BAIL CLAMP FOB.- PIAANEBS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FORREST E. CAR- norm and HOWARD W. HUNT, both citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Rail Clamp for Planers and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Our invention relates to devices for clamping the cross rails of metal planers and the like machinery, in fixed positions during operations on the work.

The usual method of clamping cross rails, such as are used in metal planers, is to provide plates which engage over flanges on the bearing faces of the housings, which plates are tightened down against the said flanges by means of heavy bolts that are screwed into the cross rail body.

This method of clamping is inconvenient in use and requires extreme effort to fasten It also provides a clamp which is rather far removed from the point of strain against the rail, viz: the point where the tool carriers or saddles are located on the rail. It will be understood that the usual position of the saddles in a planer, at least, is at a point or points between the housings that support the rail. The bolted clamps have usually been located to bear against flanges on the outer side of the housings, soas to be readily available to the operator.

There are, We are advised, certain rail clamps which are operable from the ends of the rail by means of rods and cams, but the mechanisms of these clamps do not provide adequate clamping force, and do not give equal clamping action at both ends of the rail.

It is one of the objects of our invention to 1921. Serial N0. 480,214.

thereof, and to utilize the principles of the screw and lever to gain a very great me chanical force as applied to the clamping surfaces or jaws.

These various features and advantages, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In thedrawings,

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the device, shown as mounted on a rail.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device showing a portion of the housings in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section taken through one of the clamps, showing the method of attaching it to the cross rail taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a like detail section showing the nut and lever arm device used for one of the clamps on the line H of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the nut engaging lever member.

Figure 5 is a detail elevation of the nut engaging lever member. I

Figure 6 is a side elevational detail of the nut.

Figure the nut.

Figure 8 is a rear elevation of one of the clamps.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the clamp shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the shaft, nuts, and nut engaging lever members, separate from the rest of the mechanism, illustrating the use of two nuts.

It will be noted that we have omitted a is a front elevational detail of showing of the complete housings of a mamay require such clamping devices.

The housings are indicated at 1, having,

bearing faces 2 along which the rail 3 is guided, and as usual in planers at least, having grooves or channels 4, in which the elevating screws for therail are mounted. The housing faces have flanges l extending along their inner edges.

Suitably journaled within the cross rail body is a shaft 5 which is threaded at 6 and is designed for operation at the end thereof, said end (not shown) having a squared portion if desired to receive 14. 9;

crating crank. This operating crank may be the one used to turn the rail screws and feed rod of the machine. Mountedon a pivot pin 8 positioned on the cross rail within the space between the two housings and in this instance to the left of the center of the rail, looking at it from the back, is a lever arm 9 having a cam nose 10 closely adjacent to the pivot point.

Theforward end of this lever is bifur cated as at 11 and mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft-5 is a nut 14 slit in an aXial plane, so that its two sides 15 may be drawn together by one or more screws 16.

The nut has channels 17, 17, at top and bottom, into which are set the bifurcated portions of the lever, straddling the nut, whereby the revolving of the shaft will move the nut, subject to the freedom of the shaftqto move longitudinally, said nut movement causing the lever to swing on its pivot 8. The-swinging of the lever will not cause it to bind in the channels of the nut since clearance is provided between the sides of the-bifurcation and the sides of the channels.

Referring next to the clamps, which are left and right but similar for both halves of the cross rail, it will be noted that each consists of a heavy head 18 from which projectsa lateral extension 19 provided with a face 20 which lies in abutment with the cam nose on-thecorresponding lever. The clamps are mounted on the cross rail by means of very heavy screws 21, which engage loosely in suitable holes in the cross rail and are screwed into threaded holes 22 in the heads of the clamps. Thus the screws in one form of our device have an outside diameter of 1 an inches, and the holes in the rail are drilled so as to permit a slight rocking of the clamp and screw.

The clamping faces 23, which are formed on the heads of the clamps, lie, when loose, within a fraction ofan inch of the rear face of the flange 1 on the housings, so that a slight rocking movement of the clamps will bring the faces up against the said flange. Not only this but thedistance from the centerof the screw holes in the clamps to the edges of the faces 23 may be as small as l and th inches, as compared to, say 10 inches from said centeif to the faces 20,

7 thereby giving a great leverage to the clamping action. Thccam noses on the levers are also very closely adjacent to the pivot centers,

on the pins 8. V I

The construction at the other end of the shaft5 from the threaded portion or operating end, and the lever arm employed there is especially adapted for imparting an equalizing action to the clamp. The lever arm 2st is provided with a forked or ring portion 25 formed integrally therewith, which fits the shaft 5 loosely so as to permit the lever to rock. Thelever is pivoted on a pin 8 as in the case of the first lever, and has a similar cam nose to ergage the clamp as the lever first described.

A fixed collar 26 is secured to the shaft adjacent to the position of the lever and set loosely over the shaft, between the collar and the lever are a pair of loose grooved collars 27, between which are placed ball bearings 28 in any desired manner.

The pressure of the fixed collar against the lever with the intervention of the antifriction device of the loose collars and balls, imparts the necessary swinging motion to the lever 24.

While we prefer to use a single nut with an antifriction device, it is evident that the construction shown on Figure 10 will accomplish the same purpose. ,In this shaft 5 is threaded at point 6 with a left hand thread and at point 6 with a right hand thread. Nuts 14 and 1 f engage these threads. Right and left hand levers 9 and 9 are forked in the manner already described, to engage these nuts. Rotating the squared end of the thread 5 in a clockwise direction, will draw the nuts together and therefore swing the levers 9 and 9" about their pivots 8 8, while rotating the shaft in a counter-clockwise direction will cause the nuts to separate.

he so, constructed, the operation of the device isas follows: Theoperator when he desires to clamp the-cross rail in a fixed position before starting a piece of work, revolves the shaft 5 by any suitable means, such as the rail screw crank (not shown). The-first result of this operation will be to cause the nut 14 to move along the shaft and thus bring its lever into a position to partially effect a clamping at the operatofs side oflthe machine.

As soon as this clamping takes effect, the shaft 5,,which is free to move lengthwise, will start moving within the nut, which will at once impart motion to the lever at the other end of the shaft, and the two actions of the nut moving and shaft moving will act to bring about an equal clamping of the two clamps, one at each housing.

The power of the clamping action will be very great, since the crank used by the op erator can be fairly large and the screw action between the shaft and nut and the leverage of both the two levers and the two clamps, when multiplied togetl'ier, give atren'lendous .force to the pressure of the faces of the clamps against the housing flanges. Sincethe screw and nut are an irreversible mechanism they act as alock to keep up the clamping action until the shaft is reversely turned, which will at once permit the cross rail to be moved to another position.

The special nut construction provides a take-up for the threaded engagement with the shaft, since it can be contracted by turn ing down the screws 16.

The clamping action is at the inner edges of the housings and thus closer to the normal working positions of the tool saddles than is the case with the type of clamp usually employed.

W e have made no eifortto show, bushings, or facing plates for the contact surfaces of the various parts of the structure, as these may be employed or not as desired by the designer, nor have we attempted to illustrate modifications of our structure which to our minds would be mechanically equivalent to our showing. IVe do not desire that our claims that follow be limited because of our failure to mention such equivalents.

Having thus described our invent-ion, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A rail clamping device for machines of the character described, comprising a rail, a pair of supports therefor, a pair of clamps pivotally fastened to the said rail and having clamping surfaces adapted to engage the said supports, a rotary shaft extending longitudinally of the said rail, and means operable by rotation of the said shaft and adapted to actuate the said clamps, the said shaftbeing adapted to move longitudinally to permit equal clamping action of the two clamps.

2. In combination, a pair of housings having flanges located on the inner sides thereof, a cross rail supported thereon, clamps pivotally fastened to the rail and adapted to engage the said flanges, and a shaft adapted by its rotation and longitudinal motion to operate said clamps, and to equalize the forces exerted by it upon the said clamps.

3. In combination, a pair of housings having flanges located on the inner sides thereof, a cross rail supported thereon, a clamp pivotally fastened to the said rail and adapt-- ed to engage one of the said flanges, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally of the said rail, and a. nut threaded to said shaft, adapted by its longitudinal movement to move the said clamp'for the purpose of clamping the rail to the housing.

t. In combination, a pair of housings having flanges located on the inner sides there of, a cross rail supported thereon, a pair of clamps pivotally fastened to the said rail and adapted to engage the said flanges, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally of the said rail, a pair of levers pivoted to the said rail and adapted by their movement to actuate the said clamps, and means on the shaft for moving the said levers.

5. A rail clamping device, comprising a rail, a shaft extending longitudinally of the said rail, a support for the rail, a clamp having an elongated head portion with a face adapted to engage the said support, a

screw engaging the rail and threaded into engagement in a hole in the head of the said clamp, one of the said engagements being looseto permit the clamp to move pivotally, an arm extending from said head portion of the clamp, and screw means whereby the the shaft adapted to operate the other of the said clamps, the said shaft being free for longitudinal movement.

7 A rail clamp device for machines of the character described, comprising a rail, a pair of supports therefor, a pair of clamps so mounted on the said rail as to be movable to a position of clamping engagement with the said supports, means actuated by the rotation of the said shaft for moving one of the clamps into clamping position, and. means actuated by the reciprocating of the shaft for moving the other clamp into clamping position.

8. A rail clamp device, comprising a rail, a pair of supports therefor,a pair of clamps adapted when moved to engage thesaid supports and to clamp the rail in a fixed position thereto, a shaft supported on the rail, a nut threaded on the shaft, and adapted to operate one of the clamps, a fixed member on the shaft, and antifriction means between the fixed member and the other clamp, said shaft being free to move in a longitudinal direction to bring the fixed member and antifriction means into position to move the other clamp to a clamping position.

9. In a rail clamp device, in combination, a'rail, a support therefor, a clamping mem ber adapted to engage the said support, the said clamping member being fulcrumed on the rail at a point closely adjacent to the clamping surface thereof, a lever fulcrumed on the rail and adapted to actuate the clamp,

said lever being fulcrumed at a position closelyadjacent to its clamp engaging portion, a screw means on the rail, and a nut on the screw means, said nut having engagement with the lever, whereby the revolution of the screw Will actuate the clamp.

10. In a rail clamping device, in combination, a rail, a support therefor, a clamp adapted to engage the said support and fulcrumed on the rail at a point closely adjacent to the clamping surface thereof, a lever fulcrumed on the rail and adapted to actuate the clamp, the said lever being fulcrumed at a position closely adjacent to its clamp engaging portion, a screw means on the rail, and a nut on the screw means, the said lever having a bifurcated end to straddle the nut, whereby the nut will move the lever upon revolution of the screw.

11. In a rail clamping device, in combination, a rail, a supporting member therefor, a clamp adapted to engage the said supporting member and pivotally fastened to the rail, a clamp actuating member, a shaft supported in the rail, a nut threaded to said shaft, and having a body formed as a split collar internally threaded, and means engaging the ends of the split portion of the nut for drawing them together, said nut having slots cut in the sides thereof for engagement with the clamp actuating member.

12. In combination, a pair of housings having rail bearing faces, flanges formed at the inner edges of the said faces, a rail movable along said faces, clamps for engaging the said flanges, said clamps comprising elongated heads movably pivoted to the rail and adapted to engage the said flanges, said heads having arms extending laterally therefrom, levers mounted on the rail and adapted to engage the ends of said arms, a shaft on the rail, and means on said shaft to operate the levers and hence the clamps, for the purpose described.

13; A rail clamping device comprising a rail, arail supporting member, a clamping member pivoted to the rail and adapted by rocking to clamp the rail to the supporting member, a lever pivoted to the rail and adapted by rocking to rock the clamp, a nut adapted by its movement to rock the lever, and a screw adapted by its rotation to move the nut and thus to clampthe rail to itssupport.

14. A rail clamping device comprising a rail, a pair of rail supporting members, two clamping members, each pivoted to the rail and adapted by rocking to clamp the rail to one of the supporting members, a lever pivoted to the rail and adapted by rocking to rock one of the clamps, a lever pivoted to the rail and adapted by rocking to rock the other clamp, a nut adapted by its movement to rock the first lever, a collar adapted by its movement to rock the second lever and a threaded shaft capable of rotation and longitudinal n'iovement and adapted by its rotation to move both the nut and the collar, and thus to clamp the rail with substantially equal force to each of its supports.

15. A rail clamping device comprising a rail, a pair of supports therefor, a pair of clamps pivotally fastened to the said rail and adapted to engage the said supports, a pair of levers pivotally fastened to the said rail and adapted to actuate the said clamps, a rotatable shaft free to move longitudinally, and means thereon for actuating the said levers FORREST E. CAR-DULLO. HOWARD WV. HUNT. 

